Good Girls - General Discussion

[Whimsy]

3 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

Yes, this is actually the first thing they tested for when I was a kid in the 90s. Not adhd, not dyslexia, they gave me a test for the gifted program. I was able to skip two grades (but refused). I  annoyed my teachers and classmates because it was too easy to sit and learn stuff for 7 hours that I could master in 5 minutes. Also, I'm a girl, so fart-putty wasn't my style, but singing randomly mid-class was my weapon of choice. Every parent teacher conference from 3rd grade to 8th grade was about just how bored/disruptive I was in class. Got better in high school because you can take advanced classes without having to skip grades.

On a lighter note, why is that kid actor SOOOO CUTE? He hasn't aged in 4 seasons!

I didn't fully understand the thing with Rio's fingerprint. Can someone explain? I know she wants his fingerprints on the gun, but how did them being on paper help accomplish that?

Beth was just showing Rio that she has his finger prints on the fake money just like he has hers on the gun. They both have fingerprints on items that could put them in jail. 

[BoogieBurns]

1 hour ago, Whimsy said:

Beth was just showing Rio that she has his finger prints on the fake money just like he has hers on the gun. They both have fingerprints on items that could put them in jail. 

Got it! Very helpful, thank you!

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/9/2021 at 12:46 PM, BoogieBurns said:

Yes, this is actually the first thing they tested for when I was a kid in the 90s. Not adhd, not dyslexia, they gave me a test for the gifted program.

Same, but I thought that they didn't do this kind of thing anymore!  Also, do they still allow kids to skip grades?  I wonder.

I felt like.... they were trying to show Rio as being too dumb, out of character this episode.  He wasn't as savvy and in control as usual.  I don't know if I buy it.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[LaMatadita]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I felt like.... they were trying to show Rio as being too dumb, out of character this episode.  He wasn't as savvy and in control as usual.  I don't know if I buy it.

I don't think it was that he was too dumb or out of character, necessarily. They did write him as if there's something we don't know about that is stressing him out. He seemed distracted when Beth met with him at the bar and said something about it not all being about her, and then at the end with the fingerprint, he looked genuinely worried, like he knew he'd dropped his guard because he was worrying about other shit and now he'd lost his advantage. In the past, I feel like he would have looked pissed, of course, but it wouldn't have dampened his confidence much because he would have believed he'd be able to get the upper hand back fairly easily, but this time he seemed quietly taken aback.

[DanaMB]

4 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Also, do they still allow kids to skip grades?  I wonder.

In my district they do, but they have to take an assessment. 

[Anela]

I totally forgot that this was back. I no longer have cable, and this is when I miss it: it would have automatically recorded. I'll have to see if it's on their site.

[Kel Varnsen]

I still don't understand Rio's thinking about possibly getting Beth arrested, he knows that would be even worse for him then it would be for her right? Beth gets arrested and she immediately tells the cops a very compelling story about all the people she works for that includes names, locations and dates. Then Rio gets arrested and probably does more jail time than Beth.

Also what was the deal with Beth and Dean saying it would take months to make all those changes the building inspector asked for. With the kind of money they were throwing around for the bribes they could have just hired contractors and it would probably have taken a couple of days to change the sprinkler head, renovate the bathroom and add some proper circuits for the hot tubs (or just unplug them and don't fill them).

[dubbel zout]

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I still don't understand Rio's thinking about possibly getting Beth arrested, he knows that would be even worse for him then it would be for her right? Beth gets arrested and she immediately tells the cops a very compelling story about all the people she works for that includes names, locations and dates. Then Rio gets arrested and probably does more jail time than Beth.

I think there's an element of mutually assured destruction between Beth and Rio. Each has damaging information on the other. Beth could probably get immunity or some sort of sweetheart deal, but there's no guarantee, especially if the FBI is feeling vindictive toward her. Rio likely has excellent lawyers, so he might be able to plea bargain something. For both, it's a risk to get arrested.

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

With the kind of money they were throwing around for the bribes

Seriously. Rarely does one pass an inspection on the first round, so that shouldn't have been a huge shock to them. It was a dumb plot point, and I don't really like how a city official is shown taking a bribe. Especially a Black city official.

[DiabLOL]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

 

Seriously. Rarely does one pass an inspection on the first round, so that shouldn't have been a huge shock to them. It was a dumb plot point, and I don't really like how a city official is shown taking a bribe. Especially a Black city official.

Yeah same here and what was that about her leaving property damaging black greasy fingerprints everywhere?!!

[Umbelina]

I'm new to this show, binging it, so I'm pretty sure my comments about it have probably already been made.  I admit to not yet reading all 32 pages!

I adore the cast, except perhaps Mathew Lillard, who is adequate, but does little for me in the role of Christina's husband.  There just isn't much there there, he doesn't really distract, but for me, he adds so little.

As a female "Breaking Bad" it's been pretty good though.  I do like the addition of issues for women, and I adore the transgender Izzie in the role and in the story.

Just as in Breaking Bad, I'm rooting for the bad guys, enjoying the extended family situations, and having more focus on friends and on children, and the additional money worries (though still, based on medical costs in the USA to a large degree, driving normal good people to crime.)

Manny Montana is excellent, again, and his "just business" attitude is very familiar.  I am still not completely clear about his relationship with Beth, but I feel like he sees her as a talented underling that can bring in cash, and sometimes a pet project, all of that while knowing she did try to kill him and probably will again.  They are playing with both chess and sex, and it's ALMOST working for me.  So close, but just not quite there.  

I adore the relationship between the 3 women, and that makes up for quite a bit.

I would like to have seen more of Rio's wife (or is she just a baby mamma?)  Not only is she stunning, I just wanted more, more with Beth, more with Rio.

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Umbelina
typo

[Umbelina]

On 5/4/2020 at 2:12 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did we ever get a scene where Beth, Stan, etc. react to the FBI agents being murdered?  Because I don't remember one, and I don't remember any resolution on that?

Gayle, we know as much as you do.  Beth tries to buy the hot tub store from Gayle.

Beth confronts Dean and asks if Dean would have slept with Gayle.  Dean goes on and on about how sexy Gayle is?  I guess apparently to punish Beth?  Weird scene.  Stupid.

As for the empty building:

Beth saw Rio's henchman alone and said she needed a favour.  She asked the henchman who he used to remove all of the stuff from Beth and Dean's house?

It is then assumed he told her (off screen).

Beth then uses the same company to remove all of the hot tubs from the hot tub store.

We're cut to a scene where Ione Skye is complaining to somebody (the CEO the police?), saying "I don't know who it was.  They came and they stole everything."

Beth arrives, acting all coy and faux innocent, saying "Wow, this warehouse is empty now, what happened?"  And offers Ione a new, lower price for the store.  Ione says "We already agreed to the other price" but Beth says "How would that be fair?  All you have now is an empty store" and drops off a cheque with unicorns or manatees or something else quirky on them and skips off out of the building.

Rio and Beth walk through empty hot tub store at night.  Rio says he loves the store. Beth says "When is what I do going to be mine?  I was the one who put this all together."  Rio smiles sexily (he doesn't know how to do it any other way) and says "Maybe next one yeah?" or whatever in his weird accent.

FBI stalker finds the ladies in the park drinking champagne over their hot tub store and asks what they're celebrating about.  The three women stare into the middle distance as if that's a hard question to answer.  FBI stalker lady just stands there being weird.

The new FBI people aren't grabbing me.

DISCLOSURE, I'm watching on Netflix, so haven't seen any of season 4 yet.  I don't know if I'm interested enough in having the woman FBI agent bust this case, maybe, but I'm going to need more about her than her strange interactions with yet another gay male FBI agent.

On 5/4/2020 at 3:31 PM, qtpye said:

 

Honestly, does anyone give an flying F about Dean and Beth’s relationship? I liked Mathew L when he was younger but he is pretty limited as an actor. 

 

Nope.  Zero chemistry.  That isn't Christina's fault.

On 5/4/2020 at 5:58 PM, Rahul said:

This interview convinced me the creator and executive producers are completely out of touch and tone deaf about the many flaws and missteps in their show. 

Are they kidding? This show crossed the line from dark comedy into unadulterated crime drama this season when Lucy was murdered in cold blood at Rio's behest. I haven't really enjoyed it much since--especially since much of the absurdist humor that was a hallmark of the show in season one is now gone.

I'm about to read the article, but yes.  Much like when Breaking Bad killed the kid on the bike, we've reached a no return point.  

Lucy's death was gutting.  Her poor boyfriend's reaction?  Ditto.

On 5/4/2020 at 7:45 PM, LaMatadita said:

I think there is a contingent of fans so loud that they drown out any other complaints, so all that trickles in to Bans and Krebs is, "When are Beth and Rio gonna do it again?" I actually like their twisted back and forth, but there was a lot more wrong with this season than just that dynamic being a gloomy chore to slog through. A lot of those fans did the show a disservice by only complaining about that one thing over and over again and rarely pointing out any of the flaws with the pacing and repeated storylines, or the dour mood that was supposed serve as a thin veneer of realism, etc.

I have admitted before that Beth and Rio's psychological warfare keeps me watching, but I still would have welcomed them making me care about something else. Having Beth and Rio at odds should have been their chance to make other stories and characters shine, and they blew it. Now it sounds like they just plan to throw Beth and Rio back together like a band-aid on a sinking ship. I'm cool with them reuniting them, but make the rest of it interesting, too, FFS.

Rio and Beth do work for me.  I would have loved to see more of Rio and his son's mother though, and frankly, more of Beth interacting with her too.

The hitman story bugs the crap out of me.  Do it, or don't do it, but damn, season's 3 final two episodes were boring.

On 5/5/2020 at 8:14 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

This was just a bad season, shortened or not.  Killing Lucy was a terrible idea.

Agree.  

Although, logically, Rio had no choice.  She would have gone to the cops, or, at the very least, told her boyfriend, who would have gone to the cops.

Rio doesn't seem to kill emotionally, it's all about keeping himself out of jail/danger.

On 5/5/2020 at 3:49 PM, helenamonster said:

The show had a post on their Instagram recently that was just screenshots from Twitter of people thirsting over Rio. I think Manny Montana is a great actor, and that the character of Rio has potential, but it's such a bizarre position for the show to tacitly endorse after he killed Lucy. Like, we've seen too much bad shit from him to just drool over him unquestionably.

(In general I find the show's socials super cringey so this is on brand for them in that regard.)

Rio's "it's business" rings true to me.  Having a show where no innocents, or likeable characters die would be pretty ridiculous.  

I agree though, it shifts the tone, and they need, IMO, to double down about that.  I find it unbelievable that Rio doesn't already know about the hitman.  He probably does, and will "handle it."

On 5/8/2020 at 2:30 PM, JenLily said:

I'm sorry if this has been addressed somewhere already but I'm having trouble remembering the details in this season. Did they ever resolve Beth's "pregnancy"? Is she still supposed to be pregnant? Did Rio figure out she isn't? How much time has actually supposed to have passed since the beginning of the season?

Yes, saying "I lost it."  

What I wish they would have resolved is the baby momma saving Beth.  She wasn't used enough.

On 5/16/2020 at 7:03 PM, Stats Queen said:

I am stunned, but I think artificial numbers on all kinds of shows may be influencing decision makers. In the last two month I have watch show I never thought I would. If I could leave the house live a life, I wouldn’t watch these shows.

Killing Lucy just totally changed the show - a huge 180 of what I thought I was watching.

It was awful, but in retrospect, it doesn't surprise me.  I can't help but compare this to Breaking Bad.  Innocents will die.  However, I don't think they will kill off all 3 women (the Mr. Whites) at the end, so how will they resolve this?

[Joimiaroxeu]

Looks like Christina H. became acquainted with the quarantine fifteen. Interesting that they wrote her weight gain into rhe show.

Shocked sightless?

It's hard for me to imagine anyone buying a hot tub within the past year, even if they were going to restrict use of it to those in their safe circle. Just seems like a Rona soup waiting to happen.

Wouldn't the business have been inspected before it opened? Guess it was more dramatic for the shut down to happen on their first day. So they could then bribe the inspector with counterfeit money. 🙄

I'm guessing that Ruby and Stan's son was acting out so flagrantly because he wanted to create a crisis. Once the situation became an emergency--or at least extremely worrisome--it was going to get attention one way or another.

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

It's hard for me to imagine anyone buying a hot tub within the past year, even if they were going to restrict use of it to those in their safe circle. Just seems like a Rona soup waiting to happen.

I can see people buying one for their own use since so many people haven't been able to take trips. You make the best out of your house and and yard under these circumstances.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 3/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, dubbel zout said:

Seriously. Rarely does one pass an inspection on the first round, so that shouldn't have been a huge shock to them. It was a dumb plot point, and I don't really like how a city official is shown taking a bribe. Especially a Black city official.

Yea with a toilet full of money it seems like they could have easily fixed those deficiencies, especially since the electrical one just means unplugging and draining the tubs plugged into the power strip.

35 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I can see people buying one for their own use since so many people haven't been able to take trips. You make the best out of your house and and yard under these circumstances.

Yea with gyms and pools being closed and people who like hot tubs being stuck at home, I can see people buying them.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 3/13/2021 at 11:20 AM, dubbel zout said:

It was a dumb plot point, and I don't really like how a city official is shown taking a bribe. Especially a Black city official.

With the way that this particular woman was shown to be sooooooo serious about her job, it just didn't seem to make sense.

Where did Annie's date come from?  Is this a new character or have we seen him before?

I hate the subplot with the kidney couple, I hated it at the beginning, and I hate it now.  Where does this all lead?  

Edited March 15, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

Can spoiler tags be used for the other shows?

The debate about the hot tub.  On the one hand, COVID doesn't exist on this show , does it?  On the other hand I think hot tubs are gross no matter what.... 

Edited March 15, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[preeya]

The chef takes a beating from the bullshit hit man because the salmon was under cooked. WTF!

[dubbel zout]

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Where did Annie's date come from?  Is this a new character or have we seen him before?

We've seen him before; I think they met in a convenience store? I know they had sex pretty soon after they met. Why Annie thought bringing him to the school fundraiser was a good idea is yet another reason she's an idiot.

8 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I hate the subplot with the kidney couple, I hated it at the beginning, and I hate it now.  Where does this all lead?  

So boring. SO BORING. And the passive-aggressiveness drives me nuts. And now we find out their daughter wasn't even the kidney donor. GAH.

Until Dean got arrested at the end, nothing happened. Beth needs to ask for her money back from the hit man. Is he never going to take a shot at Rio?

[sempervivum]

I couldn't understand how Beth wouldn't have anticipated that the (fake)'Big Kahuna' company would OF COURSE expect to see their books before investing in Boland's Bubbles. Why did she let Dean pursue this at all? 

What was the point of Beth's weird new furniture? I thought it looked like stuff from Goodwill, except that it all matched. 'Tommy Bahama', indeed!

And where is Annie getting the money to pay for all the stuff she bought at the auction? To Ben's point, why didn't she have money to fix up or replace her car/ living space? I do know people like her, who will get a cash windfall and buy a big screen TV, even though they don't have a working vacuum cleaner. I enjoyed Annie's subversive nature at the beginning, but at this point, she's behaving as if she's mentally ill; Ben should probably be completely removed from her custody (although I can't remember if Ben's father is back with his wife?)

Ruby and Stan deciding to let the kidney couple continue to think their kid was Sara's donor is beyond dumb. If Ruby is so sorry for them, just tell them that they don't need to pay back for the car, it's theirs. Then tell them the truth, and send them back to the hospital (or whatever) to get with the correct donor family. Sheesh.

I find the hitman kind of attractive, but yeah, have the kitchen put the salmon back in the oven for a couple more minutes. Why draw attention to yourself by beating up the chef? Aren't assassins supposed to be invisible/ unmemorable?

I still find this show entertaining, but had hoped that the long hiatus would have given them time to fix stuff. Instead, it makes even less sense than last season.

[dubbel zout]

11 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

What was the point of Beth's weird new furniture?

Remember when the money guy (good to see him!) asked the women if they liked shopping? They're spending money as "business expenses" so the books wouldn't raise any flags. Something about too much income for the amount of hot tub sales? I glazed over the explanations. 

[preeya]

20 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Remember when the money guy (good to see him!) asked the women if they liked shopping? They're spending money as "business expenses" so the books wouldn't raise any flags. Something about too much income for the amount of hot tub sales? I glazed over the explanations. 

An all well and good concept, but where are they getting the money? Are they using the counterfeit funds? 

[Ms Blue Jay]

59 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I still find this show entertaining, but had hoped that the long hiatus would have given them time to fix stuff. Instead, it makes even less sense than last season.

It makes no sense

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

So boring. SO BORING. And the passive-aggressiveness drives me nuts. And now we find out their daughter wasn't even the kidney donor. GAH.

Last season they were soooooo creepy and manipulative with the way that they were acting.  My immediate thought was that they were scammers and being bewildered that Stan -- A COP -- did not have these instincts.

Then Ruby and Stan let them deeper and deeper into their lives.

Then we find out that they're not lifelong scammers and they're trying to pay Stan and Ruby back?  WHAT?  That's COMPLETELY out of character from last season, total whiplash.  Like the writers are gaslighting us. 

Then I had the suspicion that they're not even the correct parents of the kid that gave up the kidney and now we find out that this suspicion is right.  Ruby and Stan are keeping them around WHY???????

Don't even get me started on Annie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 15, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[dubbel zout]

23 minutes ago, preeya said:

An all well and good concept, but where are they getting the money? Are they using the counterfeit funds? 

They're using the money they're trying to hide. Sorry, I don't know if that's the same as the counterfeit stuff. I'm sure it's all linked somehow, as they're using the new business to launder the fake stuff.  

[tennisgurl]

Gee, I cant imagine why Ben doesn't want Annie around his new friends and school? I don't think its because he thinks Annie being poor is embarrassing, but because Annie herself is embarrassing. At just one event she manages to cause a big spectacle because she wants to show how much money she has out of nowhere, brings her homeless dog stealing kind of boyfriend there who is pretty much sticking his head in the food, and uses her apparent new money on showy items instead of things Ben could actually use. Annie is also super judgy, especially for someone who is known for her terrible life choices, so no surprise that Ben wants to keep Annie away from his school life, he correctly thinks that Annie will get all shitty about anything he likes doing or will be mean to his new friends, which she probably would be. 

The passive aggressive parents of their daughters donor are still massively annoying, I have been waiting for it to be revealed that they're grifters since they first arrived, but now they aren't grifters, but they are also not the parents of the donor? But Ruby and Stan are going to let them still mooch off of them because they feel bad for them? Seriously? It obviously sucks that they lost their kid, but they aren't nice at all, they're ridiculously passive aggressive and them trying to guilt stuff out of Stan and Ruby because their daughter is alive now is shitty behavior. Cant they be gone now? 

No wonder the ladies get away with everything, the authorities are all either dumb as dirt, dysfunctional to the point of being unable to remotely do their jobs, or are obviously corrupt. 

For an international assassin, the hitman sure lacks any kind of professionalism. Falling for his client, attacking random chefs, why are the bad guys in this show so stupidly evil so often? I did enjoy him calling Beth out on her "I have to do this I have no choice" excuse. Beth is a criminal because she wants to be and she likes the rush, its not even about the money anymore. 

I do still like so many aspects of this show, it just makes it faults so much more frustrating. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

23 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

The passive aggressive parents of their daughters donor are still massively annoying, I have been waiting for it to be revealed that they're grifters since they first arrived, but now they aren't grifters, but they are also not the parents of the donor? But Ruby and Stan are going to let them still mooch off of them because they feel bad for them? Seriously? It obviously sucks that they lost their kid, but they aren't nice at all, they're ridiculously passive aggressive and them trying to guilt stuff out of Stan and Ruby because their daughter is alive now is shitty behavior. Cant they be gone now? 

I thought it was going to come out that they killed their own kid or something.....   

[Anela]

Why does creepy hit man have to be in love with Beth? She's attractive, sure, but why does that have to be a thing, every time? It's creepy. If she turns him down, is he also going to shoot her husband? Or her? 

[helenamonster]

Annie is (still) a mess, but I think Ben's side of the story is one of the strongest things the show has going for it at the moment. They used to be this kind of scrappy duo that didn't need his dad's money, but now he finds that he actually likes the people that he and his mom used to shit on, and he's both worried that she'll judge him like she judges them and that the people in his new life will find her embarrassing. It was one thing when she was legitimately struggling and he had the maturity to appreciate how hard she worked to keep what little they had together, but it would be super confusing for a kid to see his mom constantly come into and run out of money, and wonder why none of that is spent on him. I thought the dig about them not having a house was a low blow, but being the kid of a single mother who grew up in an apartment myself, I remember how I uncomfortable I was being the only one of my friends who didn't have a "real" house (and my mom actually had her shit together, unlike Annie). He's also totally justified in being wary about all the sketchy men that come in and out of Annie's life. His dad and stepmom provide him with much more stability.

The donor kid's (except not, apparently) parents still give me heebie jeebies, and I still think there's something off about them. The fact that Stan couldn't find anything about them, even a parking ticket, seemed like a huge red flag--at the very least I would expect them to be in insane debt based on what we know about their situation, which there would be a paper trail of. But if they're not scammers, and their kid wasn't Sara's donor, then why are they here? I kept expecting Ruby to suggest they smurf them somehow, maybe that's still coming.

No way would Rio talk to a cop without an attorney, especially about a crime he very much committed.

At least Beth has furniture again! Even if it is Tommy Bahama.

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

No way would Rio talk to a cop without an attorney, especially about a crime he very much committed.

Right, agreed.

[chocolatine]

11 hours ago, preeya said:

The chef takes a beating from the bullshit hit man because the salmon was under cooked. WTF!

Maybe it was one of those uppity chefs who refuses to cook food any other way than the way they think it should be cooked? Andrew McCarthy did say that Beth ordered the salmon well done. But either way, bad idea for a hitman to beat people up publicly. There must have been several people in that restaurant kitchen who can now identify him.

8 hours ago, preeya said:

An all well and good concept, but where are they getting the money? Are they using the counterfeit funds? 

 

7 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

They're using the money they're trying to hide. Sorry, I don't know if that's the same as the counterfeit stuff. I'm sure it's all linked somehow, as they're using the new business to launder the fake stuff.  

I *think* Boland Bubbles is how Beth lets Rio launder money from his drug dealing business. So the money itself is not counterfeit, but there's way too much of it to plausibly come from hot tub sales. Hence Beth not wanting Big Kahuna guy to see the books, because it's blatantly obvious that they're cooked. I don't understand though how having Beth, Annie, and Ruby spend some of the money is going to make the books look better, and at the end of the day, it's Rio's money and he's going to want all of it back.

5 hours ago, Anela said:

Why does creepy hit man have to be in love with Beth? She's attractive, sure, but why does that have to be a thing, every time? It's creepy. If she turns him down, is he also going to shoot her husband? Or her? 

It looks like TPTB think since Christina Hendricks played Joan on Mad Men, she's supposed to be a knockout in this role as well? No offense to Christina at all, she's a beautiful woman, but Mad Men was 14 years ago, and she doesn't look as ravishing in mom jeans as she did in the figure-skimming 60s dresses with lots of help from foundation garments. 

[qtpye]

You know who my favorite character is on this show...Ben. He really told his mother the truth about herself. I also think Ruby’s family is really adorable.

I actually have no memory of Beth’s kids even though she is supposed to be some type of super mom.

The (non) donor couple plot line is beyond stupid and they probably are only here to be future smurfs.

The best part of this episode was the money guy and Ben.

Edited March 16, 2021 by qtpye

[Ms Blue Jay]

Can someone define smurfing please?  Thank you

[Ms Lark]

This should explain it for you: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/smurf.asp

[Guest]

I really hate Annie's character.  She's just awful. Bringing the guy to the auction, trying to show how rich she is, etc.  If Ben is lying to her, there's probably a reason.  

I also hate the kidney family storyline. It was dumb last season and even worse this season.

Beth, while your husband is being arrested, it's not the time to ramble on to him about how you're sorry and it's a mistake. Come on.

I can't stand the FBI people storyline.  The female agent is "right" but has such a weird obsession.  The way two different law enforcement agencies have now disregarded the obvious low hanging fruit of getting Rio for a crime to try to take down Beth is just odd.

 

[qtpye]

8 minutes ago, deaja said:

I really hate Annie's character.  She's just awful. Bringing the guy to the auction, trying to show how rich she is, etc.  If Ben is lying to her, there's probably a reason.  

I also hate the kidney family storyline. It was dumb last season and even worse this season.

Beth, while your husband is being arrested, it's not the time to ramble on to him about how you're sorry and it's a mistake. Come on.

I can't stand the FBI people storyline.  The female agent is "right" but has such a weird obsession.  The way two different law enforcement agencies have now disregarded the obvious low hanging fruit of getting Rio for a crime to try to take down Beth is just odd.

 

Also, why the heck would they not arrest Beth just to cover their asses? I mean they probably have enough evidence for probable cause for both Dean and Beth. Is it so ridiculous in 2021 that a woman could mastermind a crime ring or that a husband and wife could be in it together?

[preeya]

21 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Remember when the money guy (good to see him!) asked the women if they liked shopping? They're spending money as "business expenses" so the books wouldn't raise any flags. 

So the three idiots are not spending the counterfeit money, they are spending Rio's money that they are supposed to be laundering? How will they ever account for the shortages. These assholes are really dumb,  dumber and dumbest.

[Empress1]

22 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Remember when the money guy (good to see him!)

I was so excited to see him. He's excellent, and the show uses him the right amount.

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, qtpye said:

Also, why the heck would they not arrest Beth just to cover their asses? I mean they probably have enough evidence for probable cause for both Dean and Beth. Is it so ridiculous in 2021 that a woman could mastermind a crime ring or that a husband and wife could be in it together?

The FBI agent who was killed last season (or whenever it was) knew the women were involved with Rio. Did he not keep records that other agents could access? It's all so idiotic.

3 hours ago, preeya said:

they are spending Rio's money that they are supposed to be laundering? How will they ever account for the shortages.

The expenses would go against the business, which would lower the profits supposedly to a point things wouldn't look fishy. Though thousands of dollars of expenses in a very short amount of time should be its own red flag, I'd think. The idea was sound, the execution was idiotic.

[chocolatine]

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

The expenses would go against the business, which would lower the profits supposedly to a point things wouldn't look fishy. Though thousands of dollars of expenses in a very short amount of time should be its own red flag, I'd think. The idea was sound, the execution was idiotic.

I don't think Rio is going to agree with that reasoning. I'm sure he'll force Beth to take all of the money out of her own cut (which is already a small percentage, IIRC).

And yes, the sudden expenses would absolutely be a red flag for any potential investor, especially the items purchased at the school auction, for which Annie bid much higher than their list price.

[Ms Blue Jay]

11 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

The FBI agent who was killed last season (or whenever it was) knew the women were involved with Rio. Did he not keep records that other agents could access? It's all so idiotic.

And of course there's no fallout from that.  The only reference to it on the show that was pointed out to me was like, flowers at the scene of the shooting or something.  If I was James Lesure (the FBI actor), I'd be pretty annoyed.  LOL.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[jaigurudeva]

On 3/16/2021 at 6:54 AM, qtpye said:

Is it so ridiculous in 2021 that a woman could mastermind a crime ring or that a husband and wife could be in it together?

You're right about bringing them both in, it would be pretty unlikely that Beth wouldn't have any idea at all about the scheme, they're running the business jointly, and she wouldn't notice her husband literally laundering money in their own home? (Assuming she's not as dense as Dean, who legitimately didn't know even though he knew his wife has been in shady business for a while). She was even a suspect/person of interest in a previous FBI case!

I think they're trying to make a statement of the sexism the female FBI agent is dealing with, she's tried to tell her superiors multiple times that it's a female counterfeiter, but they blow her off and assume it's a man instead. Too bad the only reason FBI lady thinks it's a woman is for her own implicitly sexist reasons (because only a woman would use nail polish pigment and know how to do laundry, apparently).

Annie's "therapy" (a.k.a her weekly session of sexually harassing a children's therapist) is clearly making her a worse maladapted person. She was too embarrassed to go alone to the fancy charity gala, so she brought an old hobo hook-up? Whom she didn't provide with a rented suit or even let shower (and eat) at her place before hand? She would've been better off hiring a male escort to pretend to be her boyfriend, maybe conjure some other source of hijinks by revealing that several of the other moms at the gala have already been "intimately acquainted" with the escort, which would raise more of a scandal, and Ben could be like "omg mom you hired a gigolo to be your date?!?" Like at least it would show Annie trying to make a good impression but in a horribly awry away, as opposed to being either really stupid and/or outright self-destructive (again).

I feel for Ben, I'm sure Annie would've felt like a "cool mom" when you're young and more carefree, Annie seemed to be immature and have no boundaries and that can feel like having another child friend rather than a parent. But now as a teenager Ben has basically outgrown/out-matured his own mom, and is looking for more stability that his dad and stepmom provide. Sure wish Annie's therapist might actually say something like this to really wake Annie up and get her life together and repair her relationship with her son, but he's a terrible therapist and she's a terrible patient so I don't see that happening. 

They're really spinning their wheels with Ruby's subplot, I hope they get rid of those sketchy "donor" parents soon (to reiterate several other comments, those people continue to raise all kinds of red flags and why Ruby and especially Stan don't see through them is so frustrating). It's weird that the teacher automatically assumed their son had ADHD just because he was acting out in class. If he's a genius, wouldn't he be acing all his courses? And ADHD tends to make it more difficult to focus in school and thus interferes with broad academic success? Seems like there'd be more signs of a genius kid who can skip five grades (like straight A's, hyperlexia, advanced vocabulary, immediate mental math, etc.) than just fart jokes and penis drawings.

This season so far feels like it's mostly been Beth doing her own thing with Dean and the jacuzzis, and Ruby and Annie are mostly out of the main plotline dealing with their own random and rehashed problems. This show shines when the women are working as a team (their brief scene together at the start of the episode was hilarious - give Retta more screentime, show!), so hopefully as the stakes are raised from Dean's arrest they can come back together to come up with a solution.

[LaMatadita]

1 hour ago, jaigurudeva said:

If he's a genius, wouldn't he be acing all his courses?

Not necessarily. Part of the problem there is that he's so far beyond what she's teaching that he's bored. He understands it all already and wants to play around, not do work that's too easy for him.

[dubbel zout]

16 hours ago, jaigurudeva said:

Sure wish Annie's therapist might actually say something like this to really wake Annie up and get her life together and repair her relationship with her son, but he's a terrible therapist and she's a terrible patient so I don't see that happening. 

I think he has said something, more than once, but Annie is so sexually alluring—like her sister!—that the therapist is helpless to cut her off. I wish someone would report him to his licensing board and get him decertified. Ugh. I hate this story.

[Umbelina]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:14 PM, LaMatadita said:

Not necessarily. Part of the problem there is that he's so far beyond what she's teaching that he's bored. He understands it all already and wants to play around, not do work that's too easy for him.

Disclaimer:  I watch this on Netflix, so obviously this season is not up yet, so I'm reading your comments (and will go read recaps) to see "what happens next."  I have no problems with spoilers, obviously.

Yes to your comment here, it not uncommon for exceptionally bright children to be bored in school and get average grades.  I speak from experience there, for example, try reading "Dick and Jane" (over and over again) when at home you've already read Nancy Drew, or Dr. Seuss.  At the very least you will get "doesn't pay attention in class" demerits. 

On 3/18/2021 at 8:11 AM, dubbel zout said:

I think he has said something, more than once, but Annie is so sexually alluring—like her sister!—that the therapist is helpless to cut her off. I wish someone would report him to his licensing board and get him decertified. Ugh. I hate this story.

If that therapist still not getting any sex from his partner?  (again, reading, not watching.)  If so, it makes sense, and people can be attracted for many reasons, but certainly a sex lover vs no sex at home could be...complicated.

ETA It reminds me a bit of the Betty Draper story on Mad Men.

On 3/17/2021 at 3:26 PM, jaigurudeva said:

I feel for Ben, I'm sure Annie would've felt like a "cool mom" when you're young and more carefree, Annie seemed to be immature and have no boundaries and that can feel like having another child friend rather than a parent. But now as a teenager Ben has basically outgrown/out-matured his own mom, and is looking for more stability that his dad and stepmom provide. Sure wish Annie's therapist might actually say something like this to really wake Annie up and get her life together and repair her relationship with her son, but he's a terrible therapist and she's a terrible patient so I don't see that happening. 

She's not just a mom, she's a person.  "Getting her life together" doesn't happen for everyone, it can be a life long project.

That said, I always thought that in many ways she IS a great mom.  She's very loving, and open.  She accepted his new school because she saw it made him HAPPY, even though she'd been against it.  She took care of him being bullied, and was smart enough to do that without humiliating him and going to the school (which honestly, never really works.)  She accepted her daughter's announcement that he was now her son with love and complete support.  Hell, she even helped her ex's new wife give birth (and got in that stew in the pool!)  

Yes, she did questionable things as well, most certainly, crime, and sleeping with her ex (although hello!  HE was the one who took vows and married someone else, and most certainly came on to her!)  Why is the man never blamed in these things?

On 3/17/2021 at 3:26 PM, jaigurudeva said:

They're really spinning their wheels with Ruby's subplot, I hope they get rid of those sketchy "donor" parents soon (to reiterate several other comments, those people continue to raise all kinds of red flags and why Ruby and especially Stan don't see through them is so frustrating).

I am SO bummed to hear that this "plot" is still happening!  I was completely annoyed with it the first time!  The only interesting thing was watching Ruby and 
Stan work through marriage issues, because that always felt real and pretty moving on the show, whatever horrible problems they had, from the kidney transplant, to money, to Stan losing his job due to Ruby's crimes?  It always worked for me, made me see "marriage" in a very new way.  

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Umbelina

[Umbelina]

Quote

This is not, however, a bug of this latest season but rather, clearly, a feature. The people behind the show, led by creator and executive producer Jenna Bangs, haven’t lost control of the wheel or gotten lazy. No, it’s all very intentional. Crime may pay better than a grocery store job, but, at a certain point, it can be just as repetitive. If the previous seasons have all been about exposing the rot at the heart of the idea that Americans work hard and get rewarded as a result, season 4 stands ready to remind us the promises of an easy life brought to you by crime are just as hollow.

Quote

“Good Girls” experiences the ennui of being bad in season 4

Sorry the link is in a quote.

It's a good article though, mentioning several things already mentioned here (for example Beth's sexual attractiveness, and mom issues with the other two, etc.)

Quote

There is a cost to this approach. By driving Girls deep into its malaise, the show does lose a bit of its kick. While still more than capable of landing a dry aside or darkly funny case of mistake communication, it nonetheless has a little less zest. It’s being honest about how dull crime can be. It rightly portrays how hard it can be to shake loose of crime due to a combination of the trouble you court and the dependence you develop. But these aren’t as fun to explore as illicit sexual trysts or Robin Hood-esque stickups. In the series’ commitment to emotional truth, it ends up losing a bit of what drew viewers to it in the first place.

 

[dubbel zout]

I appreciate the show is trying to say that a life of crime can be as restrictive as other options, but that doesn't mean I need umpteen episodes proving it. This is one instance where "tell, don't show" would work better, IMO. I think the narrative has been lost somewhat, though if the article is correct, tonight's episode will change that? I hope so, because I'm thisclose to ditching the show.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Wow, those donor parents are awful. They make a good case for why the families of organ donors should probably not meet the recipients. Too much opportunity for things to get problematic if one side or the other hasn't resolved their emotions about what they lost or gained.

Wonder why this show got on the smurfing bandwagon all of a sudden? It was like the writers had gotten a new toy.

That hitman is a stone psycho. But I guess you'd kind of have to be to an extent in that line of work. He was pretty clear on Beth though. It's been a while since someone's lowkey read her like that.

Dean is an idiot. A useful idiot but an idiot nonetheless.

And Annie is so cringe. It was cute the first season but now I'm finding her tiresome.

Quote

Ruby and Stan deciding to let the kidney couple continue to think their kid was Sara's donor is beyond dumb. If Ruby is so sorry for them, just tell them that they don't need to pay back for the car, it's theirs. Then tell them the truth, and send them back to the hospital (or whatever) to get with the correct donor family. Sheesh.

The kidney couple might as well have "we been smurfed" tattooed on their foreheads because that would seem to be the only reason I can see to keep them around. Or maybe there was some weird Munchausen by Proxy thing going on and the girl wasn't even their daughter. Ruby and Stan might figure it out and that's how they'll get rid of them.

[Ms Blue Jay]

12 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I appreciate the show is trying to say that a life of crime can be as restrictive as other options, but that doesn't mean I need umpteen episodes proving it. This is one instance where "tell, don't show" would work better, IMO. I think the narrative has been lost somewhat, though if the article is correct, tonight's episode will change that? I hope so, because I'm thisclose to ditching the show.

Tonight's episode was, once you get into crime, you have to continue to commit more crimes to survive.  Which..... ok...... 

I have to admit the subplot with the guy who couldn't get arrested was pretty surprising and funny.

Other than that, meh.

[chocolatine]

I liked the flashbacks with teenage Beth and Dean (and little Annie being a ballbuster). There had to have been *something* about Dean that attracted Beth, and it was nice to finally see that. I think they used different young actresses than they did in last season's flashbacks that also had young Ruby, but that's OK.

Annie is still a hot mess, but I felt bad for her about Ben so quickly taking up her offer to stay at his dad's more often. Now he only wants to see Annie "on some weekends." It was a huge step for Annie to do what's objectively better for her son even though it crushed her.

The hitman story continues to make no sense. I was extremely grossed out with Beth putting her panties on the kitchen counter and leaving them there while she unloaded groceries. I have the feeling he's not going to take the rejection as calmly as he's letting on. So now Beth has pissed off two very violent men.

Edited March 22, 2021 by chocolatine

[Ms Blue Jay]

53 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I liked the flashbacks with teenage Beth and Dean (and little Annie being a ballbuster). There had to have been *something* about Dean that attracted Beth, and it was nice to finally see that. I think they used different young actresses than they did in last season's flashbacks that also had young Ruby, but that's OK.

I recognized Shanice's "I love your smile" and LL Cool J's "Around the way Girl".  Did anyone recognize the third song?

[dubbel zout]

9 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I have to admit the subplot with the guy who couldn't get arrested was pretty surprising and funny.

Same. Though I thought the show might do more with the idea of him being invisible, like him stealing back the money or something. Especially because the camera focused on Beth during that, like she was thinking of how to use that.

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I liked the flashbacks with teenage Beth and Dean (and little Annie being a ballbuster).

Same—it gave some foundation to their relationship. I disliked little ballbuster Annie. What a brat. The physical casting of the younger actors was pretty bad. Heh.

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Annie is still a hot mess, but I felt bad for her about Ben so quickly taking up her offer to stay at his dad's more often. Now he only wants to see Annie "on some weekends." It was a huge step for Annie to do what's objectively better for her son even though it crushed her.

I can't feel that sorry for her re: Ben. With Annie it's always one step forward, two steps back, and that's on her. I agree it's a huge step for her not to let Ben see that it killed her to agree that Ben staying with his father was more convenient for him. I'm a little surprised Annie got primary custody in the first place—did the show ever address that? I forget.

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

The hitman story continues to make no sense.

I know! Though I cracked up when he said "arrangements could be made" for the kids if Beth went to Fiji with him. It's nice to see Andrew McCarthy, but his story is a dud. I hope next week finally wraps it up, one way or the other. (Let's face it, he won't be the one to kill Rio.)

This episode wasn't exactly a reset, but I feel like we finally got a bit of momentum going.